Kodi vs Sky

Kodi 22 "Piers" Beta 2 Released

Announcing the second Beta release of Kodi 22 "Piers"! A lot of polish has come together for the features added in Beta 1. HDR support is drastically improved, including HDR screenshots. International language support is also improved, especially for JSON-RPC consumers.

Kodi to Close at Least 19 Stores, Future of Others Uncertain

German non-food discounter Kodi is shrinking its store network as part of its ongoing restructuring. From 144 current stores, 19 are definitely closing, all in North Rhine-Westphalia. Negotiations are ongoing for 56 other locations, while 69 stores are confirmed to remain open. The company filed for self-administered insolvency in July, and wages are secured until September. Store closures are expected to begin after the formal insolvency opening in October. This is the second major downsizing for Kodi, which previously went through a protective shield procedure in 2024. The parent company also acquired the insolvent discounter Mäc Geiz in February, which itself filed for insolvency in May.

• Kodi will close at least 19 stores, all in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Negotiations continue for 56 stores; 69 stores are to be retained.
• Kodi filed for self-administered insolvency in July 2026.

BDA Creative: AI reshapes entertainment marketing

In an interview with DWDL.de, Marc Strotmann and Benjamin Kerneck, Managing Partners of BDA Creative, discuss the evolving landscape of on-air promotion for TV and streaming content. They note increased market consolidation, such as the RTL-Sky merger, and the normalization of AI in creative workflows. AI now handles routine tasks like production scheduling and rights management, saving days of preparation time. However, they caution about the risk of homogenized content and 'AI fatigue' among audiences, where even genuine content may be questioned. They emphasize the ongoing importance of strong concepts and the 'thumbstopper' effect in trailers, and predict a shift towards more targeted, single-highlight promotions with increased transparency demands.

• BDA Creative was named Agency of the Year at the Eyes & Ears Awards one year ago.
• Marc Strotmann and Benjamin Kerneck discuss AI integration in creative processes and market volatility.
• An AI tool now creates production documents in about two minutes, compared to 5-8 days previously.

Wontorra to Host Sky Bundesliga; Eurosport Extends Tour Deal

In a sports media roundup, Laura Wontorra will host her first Bundesliga 'Topspiel der Woche' on Sky on October 24, 2026, alongside Lothar Matthäus and Tabea Kemme. She joins Sky for selected occasions while continuing her RTL duties. Eurosport and TNT Sports have extended their broadcast rights for major cycling events, including the Tour de France and La Vuelta, through at least 2032. Sport1 has acquired free-TV rights to TNA Wrestling shows starting November 3. Bernd Reichart, former A22 CEO, is set to become COO of Real Madrid. Italy's competition authority has approved Serie A TV rights tender conditions for 2029-2034, urging more competition. The article also notes NBA coverage on Sky and sports ratings data.

• Laura Wontorra will host the Bundesliga 'Topspiel der Woche' on Sky on October 24, 2026.
• Eurosport and TNT Sports extended rights for Tour de France and other ASO cycling events through at least 2032.
• Sport1 secured free-TV rights to TNA Wrestling shows starting November 3, 2026.

Sky increases ad pressure further, appears on RTL channels

Sky, the German pay-TV provider owned by RTL Deutschland, has further intensified its advertising activities. In the week of October 12-18, 2026, Sky aired 8,703 TV spots in German broadcasters' ad breaks, mostly on its own channels, achieving 542 XRP (Exact Rating Points). Since RTL's takeover, Sky also advertises on RTL channels (more than 3% of spots, nearly 300 spots). However, cross-promotion does not work the other way: no RTL spot was placed on Sky channels. Overall, Sky has aired nearly 290,000 spots so far this year, roughly 1,000 per day. On large channels like Sky Bundesliga 1 or Sky Sport 1, big advertisers include DFL, Volkswagen, Dell, Trade Republic, and Ikea. During a non-race weekend, Sky Sport F1 only showed two Qatar Airways spots plus 649 self-promos. The data source is All Eyes On Screens (formerly AdScanner), which measures reach in Vodafone households.

• Sky aired 8,703 TV spots in German TV ad breaks during the week of Oct 12-18, 2026, achieving 542 XRP in gross reach.
• More than 3% of Sky's spots (nearly 300) aired on RTL channels (RTL, Vox, Super RTL, Nitro, ntv, RTLup, Voxup, RTLzwei).
• No RTL spot was aired on Sky channels in the same week.